1991 Large gay Christmas party
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- HISTORIC VIDEO. An interesting look back in time. Notice how several people are afraid to appear on camera. They look away or hide their face behind someone else. There was widespread discrimination in 1991. Sorry about the poor video quality but camcorders had just been invented in 1991 - not perfected! Low lighting conditions like at this party were particularly difficult for early video cameras to record well. Here is a list of people I can identify (RIP means I know that they are deceased today): Sam Smith, Jim Turilli, Steve Palmer (RIP, the young man laughing at 0:16), Donald Mertes, Jeff Crawford, Rick Best, Alan Light, Scott Davis, Mike Franzen, Don Liggett (RIP, older man seen briefly at far left in mustache and glasses at 2:28), Jack Viviani, Jim Parks (RIP, the large black man seated at 5:16), Patrick Dixon (RIP, seen on on the left at 2:55 talking to Jack Viviani), Randy Reyes, Bob Barnes, John Osborn, Gary Vogel, Todd Pearsall, Terry Genz, Larry Detweiler (RIP, the man in beard and mustache at 5:33), Marty Curry, Jim Summers, John Conley, Todd Kester, Bobby Stansbury, Laird Cox - and many others I didn't know remain unidentified. The person in drag is "Brea Monet" (Real name: Gerald Beaulieu) . The party was held December 7, 1991 at 1106 W. 15th Street, Davenport, Iowa. Here is a listing with 24 photos you can click through in a slide show, as it looks today - www.realtor.co...
I was inspired to post these old home videos of mine after seeing the similar TH-cam videos recorded by Nelson Sullivan.
HISTORIC VIDEO. An interesting look back in time. Notice how several people are afraid to appear on camera. They look away or hide their face behind someone else. There was widespread discrimination in 1991. Sorry about the poor video quality but camcorders had just been invented in 1991 - not perfected! Low lighting conditions like at this party were particularly difficult for early video cameras to record well. Here is a list of people I can identify (RIP means I know that they are deceased today): Sam Smith, Jim Turilli, Steve Palmer (RIP, the young man laughing at 0:16), Donald Mertes, Jeff Crawford, Rick Best, Alan Light, Scott Davis, Mike Franzen, Don Liggett (RIP, older man seen briefly at far left in mustache and glasses at 2:28), Jack Viviani, Jim Parks (RIP, the large black man seated at 5:16), Patrick Dixon (RIP, seen on on the left at 2:55 talking to Jack Viviani), Randy Reyes, Bob Barnes, John Osborn, Gary Vogel, Todd Pearsall, Terry Genz, Larry Detweiler (RIP, the man in beard and mustache at 5:33), Marty Curry, Jim Summers, John Conley, Todd Kester, Bobby Stansbury, Laird Cox - and many others I didn't know remain unidentified. The person in drag is "Brea Monet" (Real name: Gerald Beaulieu) . The party was held December 7, 1991 at 1106 W. 15th Street, Davenport, Iowa. Here is a listing with 24 photos you can click through in a slide show, as it looks today - www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1106-W-15th-St_Davenport_IA_52804_M78545-38851
I was inspired to post these old home videos of mine after seeing the similar TH-cam videos recorded by Nelson Sullivan.
11 years before i was born
I grew up in the 90's with a gay father. My Dad can now be happily married to the man (also my Dad) he was with for many years. My family wasn't accepting of this as I was. Being now a 37 year woman who watched horrors against LGBTQ communities and society change their view. I am overwhelmed with happiness to see such wonderful videos and footage of a time that no one should have felt they need to hide from. Thank you for this @alanlight. ❤
That's sad all the hate back then. And it's sad loads of people you knew died. I hope they were not too tragic deaths if you can actually say death can not be tragic.
I really like the area you live in. It looked affluent. Where is it. I'm from the UK
This was right before my 23rd birthday. And watching this video I was wondering about those who survived AIDS and those who didn’t. I too lost friends along the way. Rest in Power to those we lost.
A gathering of your friends ? Or are they connected to a gay rights organization ? University connected ? How was this many gays and lesbians invited to a party in 1991 when many may have still been in the closet in Iowa ? Was Iowa not as Discriminatory as Georgia outside of Atlanta in 1991 ? I can't get over the large number for the time period in Iowa . It's wonderful . I'm amazed - and feel i missed out .
Love this! This is so gay history. My uncle was around ya'lls age in this video at that time, he died when i was 6 years old. Wish I could ask him about his gay life since I'm gay too and no other older relatives are.
I get that... So much
This video makes my heart ache. The way people back away from the camera hurts so bad. At the same time I’m so grateful for footage like this to exist. I grew up not knowing that being gay was a thing, hating myself because I thought I was the only girl in the world who liked other girls. This is proof that people like me have always existed
Omg this party reminds me of my first gay party at 19 (In 1995) I'm feeling a lil shy & awkward because that's just me always in groups & I'm looking at this beautiful painting in the dining room & I turn & there's my highschool principal. Now, I knew. But of course he didn't know I knew. The look of Gay Panic on his face almost made me cry. So I did my best to exude an "it's cool dude, whatever happens at Kevin's stays at Kevin's" vibe lol .. to this day whenever I see him he is always the sweetest most cordial congenial man... My respect for him has always been through the roof. He was a wonderful principal (that they drummed out of our school my Jr year... Because:Small Town USA in the 90s)
I love this! It saddens me to see people hide from the camera due to the hate the LGBTQ community got and still gets. But it was much worse back then. This just makes me so happy to see how carefree and happy everyone was here.
There was no “LGBTQ” community back then.
Look at the videos: its 99% gay men.
It was different then, that's true. There were lesbians and gay men but they didn't socialize much together. Bisexual and transgender weren't well understood. There were plenty of drag queens and shows even then. Queer was still a derogatory word that was disliked and not used.
This is the most gorgeous, nostalgic piece of footage. I can’t get over the good vibes that radiate from your videos! It actually makes me sad when you compare social gatherings from today, people are worse at social interaction because we’re all glued to our phones...
Yep phones and social media destroyed human interaction
1:00 who is this absolute ICON? she's gorgeous!
A friend tells me that her drag name was Brea Monet. Nobody recalls her real name, or whatever happened to her. An article in the 2003 Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities) TIMES mentions Brea Monet: qctimes.com/news/local/drag-queens-provide-fun-for-all-crowds/article_4a64f881-3bba-52d5-bbb7-f226b2c28247.html
@@alan-light I appreciate the information 😊 She really does look stunning... and with that infectious smile!
Wonderful, people of all shapes, sizes, races and backgrounds. What a wonderful party!
Hi Alan! I’m sure you’ve gotten a lot of comments lately, but I just felt the need to write one of my own. I’m a college student right now, so this video was taken a full ten years before I was born. And yet this moment is still so close in so many people’s memories. I am lucky to have been born when I was so that I could come to terms with being bi in a world that is so much more accepting than it used to be. Videos like this help people like me to recognize that even though things were a whole lot harder back then, there was still so much joy among people who had found the people they were meant to find. The world will not forget the struggles that those of your generation had to go through so that we could live in the world we live in today. But we also won’t forget the joy that you all find in each other. I hope that I can find this kind of joy among my peers even though the world still has plenty of darkness. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Thank you for your comment, Darren! Well said. It was much tougher to be accepted in 1991 than today, but then again in 1991 we had it better than gay people did in 1961, or 1971, and so forth. A lot of the people you see in this video, including me, were in fact out of the closet to family, friends and *maybe* at work, but many others were not. They were still afraid, even terrified. You can see some of those people turn away from the camera so their faces weren't seen. Best wishes to you!
I'll always be grateful to live in a time+place where I can be myself ❤
i can't help but cry. i'm young and can't wait to find my people.
i like this comment :)
People talking instead of checking their phones. I love 90s ❤️❤️❤️ Great video.
I'm so glad that I found this channel. The guy who filmed it all and uploaded some of the rarest tapes is amazing person. This video made my entire day.
I was born Jan 10, 2000. When I watch these videos it really fascinates me and I have this longing for something I've never felt. Like my soul knows I'm missing out. Like I should have been born then and witnessed these things. These videos are awesome and this feeling is so strong I feel the need to share it
Your videos make me so happy! I wish we'd have been friends in the 90s
As a young person of a very different culture, I always imagine American parties with annoying kids shouting and loud music. Never seen such parties with people smiling and talking in harmonize. Love the atmosphere, I want to be in it.
I wasn't even born yet till 93, what a time machine!
I don't know why in my mind it seems like it was easier back then, because I know it wasn't, but there's something about the 90's that seems just so much less polarized.
These beautiful people right here paved the way for you young out generation. You better say thank you! Their journey was much harder then now. I know it was hard for my friends even when I was young and in high school 99,2000. You just didn't talk about it because you were afraid someone was going to hurt you. People can be really ugly sometimes over something is frankly no ones business and effects them 0. Thank you beautifuls 🌈🦋
I just discovered this channel… I absolutely adore it! I was only 12 at this time, but it brings back so many memories, the 80's/90's were a phenomenal time, people in the moment, one camera capturing the organic moments, I wish people could truly experience this.
I came from the Diana video. Something about these videos feels real home-y to me. ❤
I was 2 years old when this was filmed. That is kind of cool. I wish I could have been an adult back in the 90's
All those mullets, crew-neck sweaters and acid-washed jeans! :D
Here I am watching this about 30 Christmases later. Your channel is so cool, thanks for all the videos you post and merry Christmas (Eve)!
I remember everyone had puffy looking hair back then, especially in my family, we're hispanic so the puffs were even bigger lol. You see 'em in mob movies from the 80's and 90's a lot.
Most everyone I knew back then used to blow dry their hair and use a lot of hair mousse and aerosol hair spray.
Also hair perms were a big thing too.
Here is the house as it looks today - with a slide show of 24 photos you can click through. (The owners of the home at the time of the 1991 party sold it and moved out in 1993). www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1106-W-15th-St_Davenport_IA_52804_M78545-38851
i always keep coming back 2 ur channel, it’s so comforting somehow
I love this channel so so much it makes me happy to see how we were able to come together as a community with things like this - it’s really cool to me
this was filmed ten years before i was born and yet i felt so nostalgic while watching it
The Tom Selleck stash was so in back in the late 80's early 90's. So many handsome men wore it very well! I was 10 yrs old when this video was taken. And to this day as the years have gone by, I still find myself having Bette Davis eyes for men with mustaches. Lol. But on a side note, these were some truly fun times back in those days when you were surrounded by people who accepted and appreciated you with the highest respect. I hope you all had a grand Christmas that year and had many dreams come true ringing in the New Year!! Big hugs to you and your friends.
as a gay teenager its great seeing the progress we've made, and while we've still got far to go, i find our history reassuring
thank you for documenting so much in your channel !
In 1991 my mother was a senior in high school and my father a sophomore. I still wouldn’t be born for another 8 years, the first of 4 siblings. At 22 years old looking back at this era of time, I feel slight nostalgia. While I wasn’t alive for much time in the 90s, the first 7 years of my life at least were quite similar to this before technology took over. People gathered together, my family saw each other far more often. There were more parties, more laughter…this world is so disconnected now. It’s so ironic that technology was meant to help us connect, and sure while we can text and call people all over the world, there is still this sense of disconnect, this social and emotional void that’s not being filled. Even when people gather most of the time we’re scrolling on our phones. It pains me to see, and it’s only gotten worse with the pandemic…
Also to add to how bad it’s gotten, as a gen z my brain literally cannot compute a gathering of this size like HOW DOES ANYONE KNOW THIS MANY PEOPLE?! ESPECIALLY GAY PEOPLE, AND IM GAY!!
I don't think everyone at this party knew everyone else. I didn't. (I took the video) I only knew about ten people. The hosts of the party probably knew a lot of the people but still not all, because they probably put out a blanket invitation at the local gay bar. It sure was a big crowd, though, wasn't it?
@@alan-light It certainly was! I see, thanks for the reply, it's really great to see people gathering together like this (:
all your home movies of people in the community are so wonderful. strange to think that the day to day of our lives someday becomes the past. thank you for sharing some of this footage, so lovely to know that gay people have always had each other
What a great party memory. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing this timedocument
Reminds me of George Michael's "Last Christmas" music video
It’s crazy to see this as it was still illegal to be gay in Ireland at this point! Love all the cool videos on this channel it’s a time capsule for sure
I love watching these videos looks like such a fun loving group of people
Not me finding my 90s crush
Thank you for this channel.
Do you still celebrate Christmas like this with a lot of people?
Gosh, no. Not before or since. This was the only party I have ever been to that had that many people. I didn't know who most of them were. It was fun but a bit overwhelming.
Absolutely amazing. Thank you for these epic videos.
Alan, I just subscribe to your channel.. Hope you have more gems like this video❤
Love this. So many happy people having a great time. I was 17 in 1991 but appreciate the camaraderie.
Priceless. Thank you for this chanel.
I just turn 6 years old in this video. That is my birthday what a incredible video. Memories. Wish we could go back.
In 1991 I was 27, knew no one who was gay and had never told anyone I was gay. That party looks a lot of fun but at that time I'd never have dared to go to a gay event. I've still never been to a gay party, in fact. But perhaps there are no longer such things. (I'm in the UK.)
And now you're almost 60
I'm only 16
I love all these videos so much, Thank you for sharing Alan.
I feel like I may have been here during this - either way what a wonderful time to be alive
Though I am glad that this was documented, I wish you would have asked permission before recording because I did notice all the people moving out of view, hiding their faces, and turning around. I just feel bad that they had to hide it. I hope other than that it was a nice party where they could just be themselves.
💖💖💖 we’re still doing the small function thing (pandamnepic). Seeing so many people in one place is a tonic ✌🏽
I so wish we could go back to the 90s!
I was 26 yo when you filmed this. And I was probably at a party just like this, only in Chicago rather than Iowa.
I am loving your channel Alan ❤️
I love your videos thank you so much for sharing them
1:36 Wow!!! Crazy to hear Kylie Minogue's What Do I Have to Do? in this gay party, who would've thought?! 😂 no, but really, I'm shocked, at a US party?? Not unless it was Can't Get You Outta My Head! The gays are always ahead of time, I love it! What a time capsule, friend :)
Very nice to look back on during pride. HAPPY PRIDE FROM A BI
Being an Iowan, this just makes me so happy.
My oldest gay friend (from my group of friends), he is now 83 and living here in Northern Ireland. Back in 1991 in Belfast there was one gay nightclub 'The Dunbar Link/later named The Parliament', also the 'Crows Nest bar' and 'Du Barry's' I believe. A disco was held once a month at Queens University for the LGBT community then and my 84 year friend travelled many miles to go too these places. Being LGBT back in 1991 in Northern Ireland was not something many of this community flaunted so i understand why in this video some did not want to show their faces. The stigma attached to the male gay community concerning aids was another cross this community had to bear back then too. So many beautiful people sadly died due to aids as governments failed to act quickly enough due to it being initially deemed a 'gay' disease especially Reagan in America!! Such a waste of beautiful people, lives cut short and talents gone. These videos are of social historical value to the LGBT communities everywhere that the bond of togetherness, laughter, smiles and intimate conversations amongst friends was a place of safety and freedom!
Seemed like a very nice party of people having good times
Amazing. I wish i could see the end of the video car video more. Loved it
Everybody looks so happy... Those were the days.
True
eek I remember the hair .. the look ... but my you had quite a party !!
December 1991 I was a sophomore in college 😳 . I never had or experienced anything like this with this many gay people . This Iowa as well ?
Yes, Davenport Iowa. Full details in the videos description.
Those were the days when people were really happy and gay. 🕊️
Interesting I've never been to a gay party sounds interesting
They are the best... Esp Halloween parties... I'm hoping this gang has a Halloween video in the vault lol
Reminds me of that Christmas song
Where are they today.
30 years older, most of them.
@@alan-light you say most of them, have some passed? :(
@@ihatefrankiero There are many people in this video I don't know, but the ones I do know are all still alive except for one. The guy on the left at 2:55 is Patrick Dixon, died May 25, 2007, age 37, of suicide.
@@alan-light omg.. :((
Rest in peace, Patrick.
@@alan-light I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
Rest in peace.
I wish I could travel back to the 90's!
So many cuties in sweaters!!
Omg i love this so much, I wish now could of been so much better than it was in 1991
This is amazing ❤️
I am really sad I missed this. I was born 2 months and 2 weeks after
Maybe it was the way I was raised or the fact in the late 80's I knew my sister was gay but to me all I see is happy couples and singles having a good time. I never liked the word gay or any other word that described two people that are in love with each other. They are couples just like anyone else. I felt bad for my sister because of the fact she would hid it. It would upset me so much. It was like watch her kill apart of herself( not literally ). That was just awesome to watch.
Let me tell you sir, you are a great man.
Back when there were no phones
Thats when life was better back then because social media werent created and that so many people spent lots of time outside hanging with friends instead
Fast forward to 2022..where being Gay is cool. Thank you for your sacrifices
The year I was born. I have always wished to have a close group of fellow gay male friends. I could really use the companionship. Maybe one day!
love the Kylie music playing in the background 💖
This is so awesome. Luv Xmas.
Nice videos ...
Seems forever ago that dress sense id have been 10 then.
Apparently I was little over 5months old when this was recorded, and its hilarious to watch this now coz Im gay too. 🤣
Fabulous house 🏠
Are you taking movies? LOL!
Leon Blondin ❤ Did you know him? I just found out I’m his daughter
No I didn’t. Which one is him?
The past was so much better compared to now
Yes and no.
Being gay its more accepted now than before, being trans is horrible now, imagine back then, we still have problems nowdays and being lgbt is still illegal in some countries, but theres a little bit of change nowdays
But tbh, I feel people used to connect better, nowdays is like... empty, we are connected to internet but not to people...
🌈🌈💖💖
Gay guys having fun.
Fabulous!
SO COOL TO SEE : )
i was just a baby, i born in 97
Helli from russia. Greats videos!
Who the hell invited that girl ?
I think they could be a drag queen since Alan mentioned one :) also maybe a partner of a bi/pan man???
I mean bi/pan man existed back then too...
Or maybe they were just a dear friend or lesbian, who knows?
In fact, who would really care? Is they're there is because they were invited :)
كأنه احد الافلام
Great movie title
this is very cool
❤️
Dec 7 is my birthday ❤️❤️❤️
I wish I could go to a similar party, a trans party would be great for me haha
Same. This footage is so homey and safe feeling, i almost want to go through the screen and join the party lol
damn , no women XD
Until the 2000s lesbians started showing up
I love this
6 years before I was born